Unexpected Bond
Early the following morning, Granny called Ellie’s line again, but Ellie still didn’t pick up. Granny didn’t know what to do or what had happened to Ellie, but she decided to keep calling, hoping Ellie would eventually answer.
Ellie, on the other hand, was still sleeping peacefully, her head resting on her folded arms on the guy’s bed. As the guy’s eyes flickered open and the harsh light of the hospital room came into focus, he slowly came back to awareness. The air smelled of antiseptic, but his gaze was immediately drawn to the figure beside his bed. In the silent room, a young lady was hunched down in a chair, her head supported by her folded arms, her breathing calm and steady.
Despite his discomfort, he couldn’t help but notice her face’s exquisite features as she slept. Her hair framed her face, falling softly across her cheek and accentuating her natural beauty. Her long, black lashes cast gentle shadows on her cheeks, and her slightly parted lips added a touch of vulnerability to her calm face.
Even in rest, her brows showed a tinge of concern and tiredness, which he found admirable. The soft glow of the bedside lamp made her skin appear almost ethereal. She exuded strength while still appearing delicate, enhancing the power of her presence. His eyes slid down to her hands resting on the edge of his bed, loosely clenched together. Even though they were small and fragile, he could see the subtle calluses on her fingertips-markers of a well-lived existence.
He watched her for a while longer, feeling both curious and grateful. Who was this brave lady who had stayed by his side? Why had she come to him when he needed her? Though he had many questions, for now, he was content to simply watch her beautiful face. He felt a peculiar comfort in her company.
The chiming sound of a cellphone disrupted the guy’s moment of admiring Ellie’s beauty. He searched around for the phone and, upon seeing it, picked up the call. He hadn’t intended to answer, but when the caller kept trying, he decided to pick up.
“Hello…” he began, but he couldn’t finish as he was cut off by the caller.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.
“Ellie, what happened? Why haven’t you been picking up my calls? You got me scared. I thought something had happened to you. I waited for you to come home yesterday, but you didn’t. Where exactly are you? Are you still at the hospital?” Granny asked, her voice filled with concern.
“This is not Ellie,” the guy said.
“What? Has my granddaughter been kidnapped?” Granny asked, her voice filled with fear upon hearing a man’s voice. This made the guy laugh, but he dared not laugh loudly, not wanting to offend Granny.
“No, she hasn’t been kidnapped. Actually, she saved my life last night. It’s all thanks to her that I am alive now,” he explained.
“So, you are the guy she said she saved yesterday? Are you saying she slept at the hospital overnight?” Granny asked.
“Yes, she did. She is currently sleeping, and she seems very tired. She had a stressful night, I must say,” the guy said, looking at Ellie, who was sleeping peacefully. Memories of how she had run helter-skelter the previous night to save his life came rushing back to him.
“A stressful night? What did you do to my grandchild? Did you take advantage of her?” Granny asked, misunderstanding his words.
“No, no, that’s not what I meant. I…” he tried to explain, but Granny wouldn’t let him finish.
“You know what? Which hospital are you at? I am heading over there now!” Granny said.
“Hope Hospital,” he responded, and Granny immediately hung up on him.
“Wow! What a hot-tempered granny,” he said, dropping the phone. He moved close to Ellie, who was still sleeping, and gently moved her hair, which was curled in waves, away from her face, revealing her beauty. Just as he did this, Ellie jolted awake, making him scared. He hurriedly sat back on the bed, pretending he had just woken up. He watched as Ellie stretched, making him giggle. When their eyes met, Ellie, glad to see him hale and hearty, jumped to give him a hug.
“Thank you for being alive. Thank you for not dying on me,” Ellie said, smiling, with a tear rolling down her cheek. He was surprised by her actions and wondered how someone could care so much about a stranger. After letting go of him, he just stood still, observing her every movement.
“Are you deaf and mute? Can you talk? Don’t you know how to be appreciative towards someone?” Ellie yelled, noticing he hadn’t responded.
“I am sorry. Thank you for saving my life yesterday. If not for you, I wouldn’t be alive right now,” he said sincerely.
“Is that all you have to say? I made my grandma and my bed miss me last night just because of you. Don’t you think I deserve a gift?” she said, pouting proudly. The sight of her pouting made him laugh, finding her childish.
“Did you just laugh at me?” Ellie asked, seeing him laugh.
“No, I didn’t. I dare not,” he said, trying to stop himself from laughing.
“It better be so,” she responded, rolling her eyes.
“Before I forget, your grandma called,” he said, making Ellie’s eyes widen.
“She did? I hope you didn’t pick up the call. Where is my cellphone?” Ellie asked, looking around.
“There it is, but actually, I did pick up, and she is currently on her way here,” he said, pointing at her phone.
“You did what? You know what? Let’s get you discharged,” Ellie said suddenly.
“But I am not better yet. Why do I have to go home now?” he asked, curious.
“Because she must not meet us here. Hurry and get up,” Ellie said, urging him to get dressed so she could get him discharged. He noticed she seemed scared of her granny, which made him laugh. She hurriedly left the room to process his discharge after instructing him to get dressed.
As soon as she got to the reception, she saw her granny from afar and tried to avoid her by hiding, but it was too late; Granny had seen her. Pretending she hadn’t seen her earlier, she walked up to her, holding her hand.
“Granny, what are you doing here?” she asked, faking a smile.
“I will deal with you later. Take me to the guy who dared to take advantage of my granddaughter,” Granny said sternly, leaving Ellie confused.
“What? Took advantage of me? What do you mean by that?” Ellie asked, confused.
“Do not question me. Take me to that guy right now,” Granny said, yelling.
Ellie, still in the dark, led her granny to the room. Granny, thinking she was going to confront the man who had harmed her granddaughter, was determined to give him a piece of her mind. But upon entering the room and setting eyes on the guy in question, her face turned pale, as if she had seen a ghost.
“Kevin?” she called, her handbag falling from her hand.